Standardization of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ ProKUS Business Incubation Assistance

The Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemensos) held a standardization activity for business incubation assistance for the Social Entrepreneurship Program (ProKUS) 2021 on 11-13 November 2021 in Garut Regency, West Java Province. This activity involved 26 incubation institutions appointed by the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs in the ProKUS 2021 business mentoring. One of the selected institutions was ITS Surabaya. ITS received the mandate of ProKUS business mentoring in Lumajang Regency. Besides ITS Surabaya, there are 3 universities in East Java appointed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. They are Airlangga University in Mojokerto Regency, Brawijaya University in Malang Regency and UPN Veterans Surabaya in Probolinggo Regency. ITS Surabaya is represented by the Incubator and Innovative Business Services (ILBI) in synergy with the Center for Regional Potential Studies and Community Empowerment (PDPM).

This activity is in the form of presentations on ProKUS 2020 activities, visits to the ProKUS 2021 Beneficiary Group (KPM) in Garut Regency and sharing sessions. In 2020, the Ministry of Social Affairs will carry out a pilot project for 3 business incubator institutions in Bandung Regency and Semarang Regency. The appointed business incubator institutions are OoRANGE-Business Incubator Center at Padjadjaran University, Bina Swadaya Consultants and Semarang State Polytechnic Incubator.

Presentation of ProKUS 2020 by Business Incubator Institute

The Head of Sub-Directorate for Family Empowerment and Care of the Ministry of Social Affairs Indri Indarwati, SP, A.KS, MP, Ph.D said that ProKUS is a national priority program. In 2020 the target target is 1,000 KPM. In 2021 the target is 7,000 KPM which is currently accompanied by 26 business incubator institutions. In 2022, it is planned that the target is 10,000 KPM. KPM ProKUS is an active participant in the Family Hope Program (PKH) who has a business. The Ministry of Social Affairs provides cash and non-cash social assistance to reduce the burden of basic needs for underprivileged families. Meanwhile, ProKUS is for strengthening the economy of underprivileged families so that they can be independent by increasing their business income.

Treasurer & Food Expert OoRANGE In-In Hanidah, STP., M.Sc. said that KPM ProKUS were recipients of the Ministry of Social’s PKH program. So the business incubation is not like the business incubation in OoRANGE. Human resources and business models are very different. This is the main challenge in ProKUS activities. Because there is social value for KPM. So there must be a lot of adjustments to the way of mentoring the KPM ProKUS business. The target area of ​​ProKUS business mentoring is KPM business with stable profits, KPM can save, KPM business financial reports, KPM business legality (NIB), KPM product legality (PIRT, halal) and KPM financial literacy. The activities that OoRANGE carried out in ProKUS 2020 were analyzing the KPM business concept, strengthening KPM knowledge, KPM business legality, monitoring and evaluation as well as the KPM business expo. The role of mentors in ProKUS activities is very important. Because it is a mentor who interacts with and assists the KPM business every day. OoRANGE suggests that mentors come from the same district as the target location for KPM mentoring. At the end of the ProKUS activity, OorRANGE held a KPM business expo. KPM participating in the expo were selected based on several criteria. The purpose of the KPM business expo is to link and match the KPM business with business people, academics, bureaucracy, the business community and the media. This opens up opportunities for them to become off takers for KPM business products.

KPM Mrs. Dedah hat business

The second day was a visit to KPM ProKUS 2021 in Garut Regency. The KPM visited was KPM Bu Dedah with a hat sale business. Mrs. Dedah is a PKH recipient from the Ministry of Social Affairs in Garut Regency. Mrs. Dedah is a widow who has to provide for the needs of her 7 children. The first child is physically disabled. Can not walk. Can only lie in the room. With her limitations, Mrs. Dedah tries to meet the needs of her children and families by selling hats. Mrs. Dedah borrowed money from the cooperative to buy materials and make hats with her children. Mrs. Dedah received overlay equipment assistance from the Garut Regency Social Service and the Ministry of Social’s ProKUS. With the addition of overlay equipment, it can increase production capacity. So far, Mrs. Dedah has been assisted by her 4 middle and high school children in making hats. OoRANGE as a business mentor in Garut Regency targets that KPM Bu Dedah can increase production, profit, create their own brand and be able to increase the workforce from surrounding neighbors. The next KPM visited were KPM Cendol Mang Kumis and KPM Cipeng Baranyay.

The participants of the activity visited the KPM Cendol Mang Kumis sales location

On the third day, a sharing session and discussion of the results of the visit to KPM ProKUS 2021 were held. Some of the best practices that the incubator institutions could replicate were recruiting mentors from the same district as the location of the mentoring, active communication with social services and related stakeholders, small group KPM workshops, sharing information and activities among incubator institutions and KPM business expos to gain links and matches with academics, communism, government bureaucracy, business people and the media.

Both selling KPM Cipeng on the home page